


Calm Before The Storm

by metaphoricallylivin



Series: Earth 25: Oh, Yeah I'm An Ugly Mess [14]
Category: DCU
Genre: Dairy Allergies Are Jewish Culture, Hap Borth Toby, Jewish Characters, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-19
Updated: 2017-06-19
Packaged: 2018-11-15 21:48:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11239926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/metaphoricallylivin/pseuds/metaphoricallylivin
Summary: There is usually a moment of tranquility before the world is turned upside down, before everything changes.





	Calm Before The Storm

**Author's Note:**

> Ummm tw for references to abuse.
> 
> Also I'm going off of the comic plotline where Talia became the CEO of LexCorp. In my verse she gets a redemption arc now that she's away from her father and his manipulation while also taking responsibility for her actions before she got away from her father. Also I'm erasing that they took Talia and Jason's relationship from a mother son type thing where she cared for an protected Jason to like... they fucked because it was icky and I hated it and this is my city now. In this verse they have a continued mother son thing and occasionally when Damian is being annoying Jason will be like "IM CALLING MOM" cuz it is true sibling interaction and I have been deprived.

Toby watched the city before him. Gotham was his home, it was the place his family was from, yet sometimes it still felt foreign. His 17th birthday was starting in a couple minutes and he couldn't help but think about how the city hadn’t changed much since he could remember. It was still filled with crime and a Batman still patrolled the streets, albeit a different man under the mask. Gotham seemed almost stagnant, despite all the things that had changed.

 

He crossed his legs under him and hummed softly. It was almost summer and he could feel the change in Gotham’s air, the cool climate being swapped out for the oppressive heat of summer. It felt good, natural, almost enjoyable. He thought about his plans, he wanted to expand the Red Hood gang and he’d been looking at some vigilantes already on the streets, and some people who weren't.

 

“Cardinal,” Damian said, his voice was short and curt.

 

“Yeah? How is my second favorite Robin?” Toby asked. He was perched on the edge of one of the gargoyles.

 

“Good. Mother requests your presence,” Damian said.

 

In the last few years Talia al Ghul had become Talia Head, taking over as Lex Corp’s CEO after the election of Lex Luthor. She was turning her life around seemingly. She'd also provided Toby and Jason a backstory as Jason and Toby Head, her nephews. It worked and provided Jason and Toby convenient ins at Upper Class party functions.

 

“I'm not actually her nephew, she knows that right?” Toby asked, raising one eyebrow under the mask.

 

“Yes, she does. She wants you in her apartment in Gotham in an hour, in civilian clothes too,” Damian said.

 

“Tell her I'll be there,” Toby said. For a couple seconds he sighed, dreading having to change when the time was coming upon midnight, but Talia supplied the Red Hood gang with more than enough money for safe house and materials, he figured crossing her would be a bad idea.

 

* * *

 

 

Toby didn’t know what to wear, so he went for a pair of bright red sneakers, a pair of black shorts, and a Superboy shirt. He topped it off with a light blue baseball hat. The outfit was comfortable and versatile enough that it would work for whatever.

 

Talia’s Gotham apartment wasn’t a long walk from Luke’s apartment. Jason and Toby had talked and cleared some things up, but Toby wasn't quite sure if he wanted to go live with Jason again, he’d make the choice in the next couple weeks. He'd figure out everything from there.

 

The doorman at the apartment building was tall. He greeted Toby with a smile and asked who he was there for.

 

“Talia Head,” Toby said, burying his hands in his pockets.

 

The doorman nodded before pressing the intercom and saying something Toby couldn't quite catch into it.

 

“Mr. Head, please take the elevator directly up to the pen house. Have a nice day,” he said before turning back to his post at the door.

 

The whole building reeked of opulence, beautiful pillars and white marble. One some level he felt out of place. The only place in his memory that made him feel as uncomfortable was the State House in North Carolina. Take your kid to work day had always been intimidating, what with the overall expensiveness that permeated the building. It had always amazed Toby that his father could work somewhere like that and not be afraid of breaking everything.

 

Talia’s apartment was somehow worse. He'd visited it once or twice, but never had he been summoned. Talia was like a mother to Jason, she'd protected him, and she had wanted to evaluate Toby when Jason had first taken him in. He hadn't been back to the building in almost two years.

 

“Toby,” Talia’s drawl sounded performed. It was like when Toby tried to rid his speech of the southern twang it held, it was a show.

 

“Hello. Ummm, why did you send Damian to call me here?” Toby asked. It didn't seem like her.

 

“Your mother called me about you. She wants a meeting with you,” Talia said.

 

Toby’s jaw tightened, his mother wasn't someone he wanted to see ever again. She'd done nothing right by him, she could’ve given him to a good family, saved him from the hell of his life. She could’ve done a million things, instead she abandoned him with his father and only came back when she killed Batman.

 

“I don't want to talk to her, ever,” Toby said. He flexed his hands, trying to prevent them from balling into fists.

 

“I assumed so. I will try to placate her,” Talia said. “Would you like your birthday present?”

 

“Yes,” Toby tensed up, a birthday present from Talia could be anything, but the box she pulled out wasn’t too big. Which was reassuring because it limited what the hell could be in it.

 

“Happy 17th Birthday,” Talia said.

 

Toby opened the box, finding a pair of expensive looking shoes and a knife.

 

“I gave the same knife to Jason for his 17th birthday, it cuts through armor like butter if you ever have use for something like that,” Talia said.

 

“Thank you. I assume the shoes are if anyone asks me what my aunt got me? So there's a normal gift,” Toby questioned, it was possible he was wrong, but he didn't think so.

 

“Yes. I asked Damian what you liked and had my assistant pick up a pair of shoes for you,” Talia said.

 

It was true, he liked shoes a lot. Duke joked about him spending half his time watching eBay bidding wars. The shoes looked fancy, semi matte red leather with gold and black accents.

 

“She was insistent when we talked, be aware at all times,” Talia said. “I care for you and Jason, your mother killed my love last time she was in town. I’d hate to see the damage she could do now that she's back.”

 

“Me too. Can you do me a favor? If she calls you again tell me. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go meet up with my boyfriend,” Toby said, putting the box under his arm and heading out.

 

It was a subway ride and a 10 minute walk before he got to Tim’s hideout, the Robin’s Nest. He'd taken to crashing there more than the Wayne Penthouse in the last few months and Toby could almost guarantee he'd be there, at least for an hour or two after patrols to go over the events of the night. Tim had given both Kon and Toby the security code for the place.

 

Whereas the warehouse was more of an actual home than a permanent safehouse the Robin’s Nest reeked of hideout. Tim’s bike and variety of other specialized equipment filled the room. A futon was pushed into one corner and a wall of computers, similar to the one in the Batcave, was in another. It was also a mess, clear that Tim rarely bothered to clean it opting to quickly change, grab what he needed, and run or crash after patrols.

 

Toby smiled, Tim was tapping away at his computer, a sandwich half hanging out of his mouth. He was also in a combination of the fluffy pajamas Toby had given him as a joke gift and his usual uniform. It was adorable. Toby tried his best to stealthily walk up behind him and hug him from behind.

 

“When’d you get here?” Tim asked, his voice muffled by the sandwich in his mouth.

 

“A minute ago,” Toby hummed, Tim was warm and even though he was 90% bony edges it was nice to hug him.

 

“Want some sandwich?” Tim asked, holding it out.

 

Toby grabbed it and took a bite, “Did Alfred make this?”

 

“Yeah, he made a bunch of them for me to keep in the fridge here for a snack. Lemme get the ice cream cake out of the fridge,” Tim said. “I got a tofu ice cream cake just for you, babe.”

 

“True love is getting tofu ice cream even though you've said it is a blight,” Toby’s tone was playful, an easy smile set on his face.

 

“Just for you,” Tim said, taking it. He rummaged around for a couple seconds for a knife before giving up, grabbing a batarang and sterilized it with an alcohol pad.

 

“You're not really gonna cut cake with a batarang?” Toby raised one eyebrow. Tim was… something.

 

“Shhhh… I got that disgusting soy cool whip you like to ice it and it's perfect, enjoy the batarang cutting,” Tim said, slicing through the surface of the cake and placed a slice on a paper plate.

 

“Jewish culture is being allergic to milk, Timothy,” Toby said.

 

“I'm Jewish too and I drink milk to make my bones strong! Strong enough to lift up my boyfriend,” Tim said, handing Toby a slice of cake.

 

“You got the lucky genes then babe,” Toby said, taking a bite of cake. It really was good. The cool whip had it's usual smooth taste and the ice cream was nice and cool.

 

“Love you,” Tim said, giving Toby a chaste kiss to his temple.

 

Toby hummed. He was happy, years ago he thought he had no idea what happy could be, but now he knew. It was two boyfriends who loved him, it was a family, a fulfilling life. When he’d tried to pay Jason to kill his father he hadn't expected it to take him there. To take it to a place where he was happy, a place where he was loved.

 

“Love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comment y'all. I'm a southern gay who wants to hear yer thoughts.


End file.
